Slide 1: Title Slide
Ethical and Moral Issues in Human Life
A Review of Bioethics and Contraception
Slide 2: Introduction to Bioethics
This presentation will explore foundational ethical principles in bioethics.
It will apply these principles to the Catholic Church's teachings on contraception.
Key ethical principles to be discussed include:
o Beneficence (doing good).
o Justice (fairness).
Slide 3: Principle of Beneficence
Definition: Beneficence is the ethical principle of doing good and promoting the well-
being of others.
In a healthcare context: This means that medical professionals have a duty to act in
the best interest of their patients.
Application to life issues: The Church's teachings on life and contraception are
intended to promote the true good of the person and the marital bond.
Slide 4: Principle of Justice
Definition: Justice is the ethical principle of fairness, equity, and the impartial
distribution of benefits and risks.
In a societal context: This requires protecting the rights of all individuals, especially
the most vulnerable.
Application to life issues: The Church's stance on abortion, for example, is rooted in
the belief that a conceived child is a distinct and separate human person with a right to
life, which must be protected.
Slide 5: The Case of Humanae Vitae
Background: Pope Paul VI issued the encyclical Humanae Vitae in 1968.
Core Principle: It articulated the intrinsic connection between the unitive (love-
giving) and procreative (life-giving) aspects of the marital act.
The Church's Concern: Contraception is seen as a "wall" that separates these two
meanings, reducing the marital act to a purely physical activity rather than a sacred
sign of the marriage covenant.
Slide 6: Contraception vs. Natural Family Planning (NFP)
The Catholic Church makes a clear distinction between artificial contraception and
Natural Family Planning (NFP).
Contraception: This involves intentionally and artificially intervening to render the
marital act infertile. The act itself is fundamentally altered.
NFP: This method respects the natural cycles of fertility and infertility. Couples using
NFP may abstain from the marital act during fertile periods for a "just reason," but the
act itself is not altered.
Slide 7: The Moral Object of the Act
According to the encyclical
Veritatis Splendor, the morality of an act is determined by its "object".
An act is considered "intrinsically evil" if its object is disordered.
The Church teaches that the contraceptive act is intrinsically evil because its purpose
is to thwart the procreative potential of the sexual act. This remains true even if the
couple's intention is good, such as wanting to space their children.
Slide 8: Potential Abortifacient Effects
The Church has concerns that many hormonal contraceptives, such as the pill, can act
as abortifacients.
While they primarily prevent ovulation, a secondary effect can be thinning the uterine
lining, which may prevent a newly conceived embryo from implanting.
The Church condemns any act that intentionally kills an unborn human life from the
moment of conception.
Slide 9: Dignity of the Person and the Marital Bond
The use of contraception is seen as a violation of the personal dignity of both husband
and wife.
It can objectify the spouse, turning the sexual act into a form of self-gratification or a
means to an end.
This can lead to a breakdown in trust and communication within the marriage.
Slide 10: Conclusion
Based on Church teachings, hormonal contraception is considered morally
impermissible because it:
o Separates the unitive and procreative meanings of the marital act.
o Is an "intrinsically evil act".
o May have abortifacient effects, which the Church condemns as the killing of
an innocent human being.
o Violates the dignity of the person and the sanctity of the marital bond.
